


With Great Power comes... Great Isolation.

by Sica520



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Best Friends, Brotherly Bonding, But his best-bro is here, Character Study, Danny has issues, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, and comicbooks, being half-ghost isn't always fun, bro-tharapy is better than getting psycho-analyzed by a shrink...or Jazz, dealing with things is better than not dealing, emotional fall out, ghosts are creepy and so is Danny, many issues, talking about issues, to help, with video-games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:14:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23803711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sica520/pseuds/Sica520
Summary: It was shortly after Tucker's experience with Desiree, and he and Danny were just hanging out. Neither boy really wanted to talk about what had just happened or any of the numerous off-putting implications...instead, they were just playing videogames. However, Tucker was beginning to think maybe they should confront this...it was probably better than denying the problem. However, it turned out he had no idea how much Danny had been repressing when he suggested that... or how much Tucker himself was still choosing to ignore.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 87





	With Great Power comes... Great Isolation.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as a character study. I love the friendship between Tucker and Danny, and I feel like it's often overlooked and under-appreciated. So I wanted to explore a bit more about this relationship, including the biggest character flaw that Tucker struggles with: which is his jealousy. Then, of course, I love me some more creepy ghostlike Danny, and let's be honest that kid has problems that he needs to address. So, Tucker is here for his best bro to support, make jokes to create levity, and smack some sense into him and remind him that he is still human...at least partly. 

Tucker and Danny were having a sleepover just like the good-ol' days. However, it was decidedly not the same. Nothing ever was, since... _The_ _Accident_. In the quiet moments like this, that _not-the-sameness_ hung thick in the air.

"So..." Tucker awkwardly broke the slightly eerie silence, punctuated only by the loading music as the game screen displayed in big over the top blood-soaked red letters: **"YOU DIED!"**

"Are we gonna... do that thing, where we never even _acknowledge_ all the stuff that just happened... and just hope it all goes away on its own?" Danny's preferred method of dealing with stuff like this was essentially just... _not_ dealing. Danny gave a little laugh, but he didn't deny anything. He just kept watching the countdown to respawn with a new life slowly tick down to zero. 

" **RETRY** **? Yes/No ...5.**"

"Because look, dude, I kinda... _don't_ want to," Tucker admitted. "That's what got us into this mess, to begin with." Well, that's how _Tucker_ got them into this mess; it wasn't Danny's fault. "I am... so sorry." Tucker didn't remember too much about what he did, but what he did remember... wasn't pretty. "I was _awful_."

**" 3... 2... 1."**

Danny restarted the game.

**"CONTINUE."**

"It's OK. You weren't yourself," Danny quickly reassured him. 

Tucker's words stuck in his throat. All the half-formed arguments that Danny _didn't_ want to hear. If he said anything, Danny would only make more excuses for Tucker's behavior.

The game had finished loading; their conversation was now the thing put on pause. The sounds from the game played on, seemingly amplified by the awkward silence. Danny's sniper in-game saved Tucker's character from certain death; even in virtual reality, Danny had to be the hero. 

"Thanks. Didn't see that guy...." hesitantly, Tucker tried to press on, "but, dude... you can't let me off the hook that easily. It never would have happened if I hadn't been so... well, _jealous_ of you." 

"Yeah, well, I was kind of a jerk for showing off around you," Danny casually rebutted, much more interested in playing than talking.

That phrase itself was something Tucker had said to him, called him a jerk for actually _enjoying_ having superpowers. After weeks of Danny being terrified, confused, and _hating_ every minute of his life since... _The_ _Accident._ Now, that he was _finally_ coming to accept and enjoy his powers... _Now_ , he was a showboating jerk. It showed some of Tucker's true colors; he was fine to stand by and be the friend that pulled Danny out of the floor and calmed down his freakouts... but as soon as it looked like Danny was actually getting the hang of things and having _fun_ , without him, for change, then it was different. Then, it was _unfair_. Then Danny was being a jerk for practicing and using his powers. 

"There are more, coming up from behind," Danny said snapping Tucker out of his thoughts. 

"I see 'em," Tucker looked down the scope to aim at some of the zombies that Danny pointed out. Although he missed, several times. Man, he was sucking this round.

"...You have freaking _superpowers_ , you are allowed to enjoy them and show off a bit, dude. I mean I would." It wasn't even hypothetical anymore. Tucker had already proven how he would act; what kind of person he was. "I did. I flaunted the power way more than you ever did; when I had it. I was also a much bigger jerk."

"You were being influenced by Desiree," Danny countered. He was stubbornly refusing to let Tucker take any of the responsibility for what happened. Danny would never truly admit that it was _Tucker_ who was in the wrong and Tucker who should've paid the consequences. Blame the evil ghost, right? Because the idiotic human who started the whole mess wasn't to blame. Danny was a big hero here to save him from everything... even from the fallout caused by his stupid actions. 

Danny's character had stopped shooting with precision and adopted a _j_ _ust-freaking-fire-at-everything-everywhere_ mentality. The sound of heavy fire soaked up the silence. 

Yeah, Desiree used Tucker's desires, feelings, and thoughts. She amplified and manipulated them, but they still came from _Tucker_. 

"Not the whole time," Tucker said softly. It should have been drowned out by all the artillery, zombie deaths, and the other various game sounds. However he knew Danny's sharp—in both meanings of the word—ears heard him, they flicked towards him ever-so-slightly in simple confirmation. 

"We don't have to talk about this," Danny said as they died again. They were so out of sync. Tucker wasn't paying much attention and Danny was trying his best to pay _too much_ attention. 

Back on the death screen Danny suddenly threw his controller down in frustration, as if it was the loss of the game that bugged him. Then he turned away crossing his arms to pout. Before too long he seemed to forget his annoyance in favor of staring at the corner of the room with nothing there. Unless his friend could see something he couldn't, which Tucker really _really_ wouldn't put past him. 

"Yeah man... we kinda _do._ "

Danny sighed, "OK, fine. So..." He got up and switched the TV off. "Was it everything you... imagined?" He asked slightly strained; he was staring at the black screen and purposefully not facing Tucker. 

"Yeah, it was awesome! Flying around, turning invisible, and being super strong. Totally understatedly cool!" Tucker had had really for real-life superpowers, it was awesome... 

...Until it _wasn't_ anymore. 

"Yeah, it is all kinds of cool... What was your favorite part?" Danny asked with a small smile and a glance over his shoulder. 

"I liked the invisibility. Dude, the possibilities are endless! You?" 

"Flying," he came back to sit down next to his friend. 

"Of course, Spacecase," Tuck shoved Danny and they laughed together. 

"I also liked well... Doing things _together_ again. At least until my jealousy completely took over," Tucker said, fully expecting Danny to call him a sap or tease him or something. However, it seemed like just this once, his friend was going to be serious. 

"Yeah, that was... Cool. Look... I uh get that you don't really want to talk about this stuff since you had your powers _taken away_... by me," there was an apology in Danny's voice as if saving Tucker from the worst of himself was something Danny should feel bad about. "But it really would've been... nice to have someone else... _Like_ _me_ ," Danny finished softly like he was almost afraid to say it. 

To Tucker it seemed more like _Danny_ was the one who never wanted to talk about this stuff, "It's alright, dude. We can talk about it." In all honesty, they probably really should talk about it. It would probably be healthier.

"Thanks. It's just... well I mean, I uh...heh... don't have to tell you how _weird_ it is to feel that...uh... Well, _strangeness_." Danny resumed his vigil of staring off into the middle distance as his voice grew softer and softer still, if it weren't for the weighted almost echo that sometimes seeped into his words, Tucker might not have even heard him. "I mean, you already know that feeling. Right? That feeling you can't even really name, but it's still there —it will always be there—just like _gnawing_ at you." Danny typically didn't look small or lost, especially, not since he became a bona fide superhero. But in this moment Tucker was reminded just how young his friend was. 

"Um..uh... Dude, _what!_?"

Danny shook his head and gave a stiff smile, "I mean the powers are cool and all, but I... can't get over the... _emptiness_. Y'know? It's sometimes just so hard to... _deal_." 

"The what?" 

"The _emptiness_ ," he said with a slight laugh. "I know, I know, I know, it sounds super lame. But... I don't really know what else to call it. I mean, regardless of whatever stupid name we give it it's still the same, right?" Tucker must look as confused as he felt because Danny realized that he needed to explain further. "...Oh, come on, _you know_ what I'm talking about, right? That feeling inside you, that... man, I'm not sure how to uh... explain it. It's like that awful feeling that... there's like... this _stuff_ that's just... _not_ _right_ inside you... like there's something there that you know that probably _shouldn't_ be there, but whaddya gonna do?" he shrugged. "Besides, s'not like there's any real point to anything, anyway. Not now. So y'know ya just kinda _pretend_ that... whatever it is that is kinda like...I dunno... _different_ or _changed_ or... _missing_ or something _,_ is still there _._ Try and convince yourself... that it's all fine. But it's not, you _know_ it's not... and as a result, there's just this part of you that feels so.. _._ well, uh I guess... _Empty_." Not only did his casual tone not match with his very worrying words, but he was acting like Tucker _should_ know exactly what he was talking about. Like Danny never even _considered_ for a second that Tucker might not understand.

What was he expecting his friend to just shrug and say, _'oh yes, the great big empty pit of existential despair, why didn't you just say so? Of course, I understand, don't worry, that's completely normal, everyone feels that.'_

Danny shrugged awkwardly, then continued talking after a bit, "so...I guess it does kinda work... _The_ _Emptiness_. Heh... Still sounds like some sorta lame, like some movie monster where someone couldn't come up with a cooler name, like heh... oooh watch out for The Emptiness or The Darkness or The Thing...something like that," he was laughing again, but it was that tight bitter laugh that he had adopted after _The Accident_. "Guess I'm not the best at naming stuff... What would _you_ call it?"

"I...uh... have no idea what you are talking about." 

"You...wait, _what_? ...Y...y...you _don't_?" His hand slid off his neck and fell back to his lap. 

"Uh... No." 

"Oh..." Danny was silent for a bit staring down at his hands. "Maybe I'm still just doing a crap job of explaining... When you were... when you _had your powers..._ did you ever feel a..." His fingers were shaking as he clenched and then reopened them, again and again, as if checking that they were actually working. " _disconnect_...between yourself and the rest of the world?..." 

Danny took a faltering breath to try to calm himself. When he spoke again it was in a whisper, a soft murmur that almost sounded disembodied like the wind through the trees, "When you... What did it... _feel_ like? Not using the powers but... like on the _inside_?" 

_Feel_ like on the _inside_? Tucker hadn't thought about that; somehow it hadn't seemed too important. Tucker was almost afraid to answer. He didn't know how to say that he didn't really feel any different... Well, at first. As Desiree's monster took more and more control of him, he started to feel... weird. Highly emotional and aggressive. Angry and prideful and strong and... monstrous. But he was still oddly removed from it, it was only clear in hindsight. When he was in the moment he hadn't felt anything out of the ordinary. Certainly _nothing_ even remotely close to what Danny was describing. 

Tucker opened his mouth to say so, but Danny cut him off with another question.

"Didn't you have to remind yourself to... breathe?" he sucked in another sudden sharp gust of air—but it was hard to ignore that his shoulders didn't really rise or fall, like they should've. "or to blink...? Or... or..." Danny slowly, almost as if he was moving without even noticing, put a hand on the center of his chest. He closed his eyes and grit his slightly too-sharp teeth. "Didn't you ever have that... that feeling... Like you were perpetually... I dunno, like in the middle of _drowning_ , or something? Didn't your chest burn as you desperately tried to reach the surface? Knowing that you _have_ to... that you can't live without... So you _try_ to... just _breathe_. But you can't...heh..heh...You can't even _remember_ how... or what it felt like to... _not_ suffocate. So all you can do is panic as your lungs slowly fill up with something cold, thick, slimy, and _impossible_..." Danny shook his head as if he could shake those thoughts away. His fingers on his chest tightened, digging in deep as if he was seriously maybe considering tearing his heart out.

"There had to something deep within yourself telling you, _over and over_ again, that you're... _wrong_. That you _don't belong here_, and _you will never be the same_?... _right_?!... When you were in the lab didn't you feel that... _Otherworldly_ energy all around you... _inside_ you?... _Didn't you!_?" he looked up at Tucker as if _pleading_ for him to understand something, locking his bright, glowing green, eyes with Tucker's pale teal ones. "Didn't you hear the song of the portal echo within your very being? Didn't you somehow _know_ deep down that you belong on the other side?" 

"Uh...um... No?" For a split second, Tucker thought he saw his friend sink in on himself. As if when he confirmed that he didn't know what Danny was talking about, he had somehow betrayed him—broken something or stolen something or... something. There had been such a deep _longing_ in his glowing gaze a second ago, but at Tucker's words, all the hope and light within his eyes was suddenly stamped out. It was simply awful to see those green eyes without their usual glow, they looked... dead. _Empty_. 

"Oh," Danny's voice and expression were blank. 

"...Sorry ...But, Danny, that's... can I just say that... that's all... rea... _really f*cked-up_. That's not... what... _you_ feel... Is it?" Tucker asked even though he was pretty sure of the answer, but he also knew that Danny _never_ would've told him any of that if he hadn't thought that, somehow, Tucker already knew it. He placed a hesitant hand on his friend's shoulder. 

Danny gave an exaggerated mischievous smile that did not reach his, now blue again but still empty, eyes. He playfully shoved Tucker off and jabbed him with his elbow. "Nah, of course not, I was just messing with you. Yeah, ya know just joking; getting you back for what you put me through... So...Round five?" he asked grabbing his controller and sitting back down again so _inhumanly_ fast that Tucker could barely process what had just happened.

"Dude, how is it you are _still_ such a bad liar? And remember, ...we are supposed to be actually _talking_ about this stuff." Especially if his friend has been holding in... _that_... for who knows how long. 

"Tucker, what did you wish for?" Danny asked suddenly, gripping the controller so hard that his already pale fingers looked even whiter and Tucker was honestly kinda surprised that he hadn't broken it with his inhuman strength. 

"Um,...you know what I wished for. To have ghost powers...to be like you." 

"No I mean, what was your exact wording, leaving out the w word?"

"Man, I _blank_ I had ghost powers,"

"Oh. ...Ghost powers... Not ...man, I _blank_ I was half-ghost," Danny breathed more to himself than anyone. 

"Is there a difference?"

"... _Apparently_ ," Danny muttered bitterly. 

"What do you mean?" 

Silence.

"Dude?"

"It doesn't matter... just forget it. Its... it's nothing. Come on, let's beat this level,"

"Danny?"

"Just one more round?" Danny asked almost pleading. 

"Danny,"

"C'mon Tuck, we were so close,"

No, they weren't. They both knew it. They had sucked and sucked _bad_. It was downright embarrassing how badly they had played: Died within the first few minutes; Missed shots; Made stupid mistakes; Resisted functioning like a team. On the record for one of the suckiest attempts to beat the level ever.

Danny took Tucker's own silence as agreement and went to go turn on the TV and the game console again. Taking even longer to walk those five steps than before.

"Danny?" Tucker tried again now that he was preoccupied. 

"Yeah?" 

"Danny, seriously just f*cken _talk_ to me," 

Danny turned on the TV and realized that he didn't turn off the console. The game was still on. A game of death and zombies. Displaying the same message in big block red letters stylized to look like they were covered in blood: **"YOU DIED!"**

Danny sighed, "you wouldn't understand... I thought you would. I thought you _did_. I... I was kinda... I know, I know it makes me a world-class terrible best friend, but I... was _glad_ that you... Did. _Glad_ that you were gonna be put through the same f*cking sh*t as me, so at least I wouldn't have to be alone. How pathetically _selfish_ , right? But you... _Don't_... you can't... and you, I mean you're so _lucky_... I'm glad that you won't _ever_ understand, I wouldn't wish this on anyone"

"Can't I try?"

" **RETRY? YES/NO... 5... 4... 3... 2...**"

**" 1... 0"**

**"GAME OVER"**

Danny gave a frustrated growl that was much more literal then it should have been and slammed his finger over the power button. The screen went dark again. The blank screen reflected Danny's pale face and sharp exhausted eyes, both almost looking luminous and slightly iridescent. "I think I might be..." He gave an exasperated bitter laugh. "might, yeah right" he whispered, running a shaking hand through his hair -–looking like he was trying to stop himself from pulling it out. " I _am_... I'm... I... I'm dead!... _F*ck._ Tuck, I'm actually f*cking _dead_." 

"What? No... You are _not_ dead, Danny," Tucker went up to his friend and put his hand on his shoulder again as if trying to steady him. Reassure him that he was indeed alive and solid. Danny, instead of shrugging it off like a normal person, let Tucker's hand fall through his ice-cold shoulder. 

"Yeah, Well... Maybe not now, but I know... I did... _die_ ," 

"What? N..n... No, you didn't... You...can't've... I mean yeah the portal did ...something... pretty _bad..._ But... I guess... I mean...It looked like it _hurt_. A lot,"

"Yeah, ...It _did_. A...a lot," Danny's voice cracked. Then after a moment of gaining composure, he turned back to Tucker. "This isn't some stupid comic book! Or game! I don't just have some super cool magic powers, I am literally something... different. Something else, something dead."

"I know that this isn't a comic book. It would be much easier if it was, but... it's not." 

"No, it's not. I am not a superhero...I am a _freak_. I know you've noticed. The times when I can't even seem to fricken _act_ human," Danny was breaking down, again. His sharp teeth—closer to _fangs_ —were out, but not quite fully bared, and his words came out warped and snarly. 

Tucker took a couple of involuntary and unintended steps back. 

Of course, Tucker had freaking noticed. It was impossible not to notice. He and Sam had both been a little tiny bit—or maybe kinda a little closer to a whole lotta bit—worried about how... _Different_ Danny could be. "... Yeah..." the strangled response was all he managed.

"Every single beat of my dying heart reminds me of what I am. And I would trade all of the cool abilities away in a. ..Haha.. well ...In a _heartbeat_ just to _feel... fully... alive_ again," The joke fell flat. 

Oh. Tucker's face lit up like one of those cartoon lightbulbs went off above his head. "So, you're not Spider-man,... You're _Superman_ ," he whispered as if the secrets to the universe had just been made clear. 

"Tucker, I am not either! I am _not_ a hero! I am—"

"I know, I know, I know," Tucker cut him off. This was important. "Just let me explain. because you are right I have noticed the way... You're just... so... _different_. To be completely honest, you scared the crap out of me. You _still_ kinda... scare me sometimes," he sighed and deliberately— feeling like his shaking legs were made out of lead— pushed himself forward, back to where he was a couple of seconds ago. " So, I came up with this to... cope? I guess... Look, Peter Parker is a normal highschool kid who got into an...an..ac... _accident_ , right? Then he became Spider-man,"

"Tucker this isn't some f*cking comic book!" Danny snarled, literally like an animal. His fang-like teeth were bared in a slightly too-wide mouth, his eyes were glowing harshly, he also looked bigger—towering over Tucker with the help of his disregard for gravity—the room dipped in temperature, and the lights flickered like a scene from a horror movie. It was as if Danny was trying to prove just how _different_ he truly was.

"I know..." Tucker gulped. He put his arms up in a way that demonstrated both surrender and caution, the way someone might approach a wild animal. But this time he stood his ground, he wouldn't turn and run like all his human instincts really _really_ wanted him too and he didn't even shrink back like he had before. This was too important. If Danny was going to go out of his way to act creepy and scary, then Tucker would do the same and show that it still wasn't enough to get him to abandon his best-fricken-friend. "Just please... hear me out ...I have a point I promise," Tucker shakily replied trying to sound more subdued and sincere—and not as scared as he truthfully was; although that was pointless since Danny probably could sense his fear anyway.

" _Fine_ ," Danny snapped, mouth closing instantly. He closed his eyes trying to calm down and when he opened them they were blue again. His feet returned to the ground and the lights stopped flickering. Although, the room was still cold, a sure sign that Danny was still upset. He gestured that Tuck had the floor. 

"So Parker normal kid who became Spider-man, right?" Danny rolled his eyes but then sulkily nodded. "But... The thing is, regardless of what Sam says, spiders are freaking scary and... well," Tucker glanced at Danny, quickly looking him up and down. "... _creepy._ " 

Now Danny's attention peaked, his head shot up to intently gaze at Tuck. His head was tilted in slight confusion and he was studying his friend, in a not exactly something that could be called a usual _human_ way. 

Tucker kept talking, despite how unnerving it was to have that intense, and—he didn't want to use this word in regards to Danny, but he couldn't deny it fit—predatory gaze fixed on him. Danny was usually pretty flighty, both before _The Accident_ and after, in fact, he spaced out even more after... like he was—How had Danny put it?— _disconnected_ ...from the rest of the world. Never had Tucker been the recipient of Danny's motionless—way too freaking still. Was he even breathing?!—hyperfocused unblinking stare before. A chill raced up his spine against his permission, and he fought the urge to flinch or shiver or do anything stupid and cowardly like that. "Most people don't like them, at all... B..B.But people like Spider-man. Why? Because he is _not_ a spider. He just has the _abilities_ of a spider. He can do things that a spider can also do... And even then it's not like he has six arms or goes around eating flies or stuff like that. Hell, even his webs aren't real; it's more a gimmick thing that he made. So, Parker, the person, is _not_ scary and is not a spider... That's how I convinced myself to view you. Your... accident gave you the abilities of a ghost. But, you're not actually a real literal ghost. Anymore than Peter Parker is actually a literal spider. Therefore not scary." 

Danny broke the off the unfairly matched staring contest, choosing instead to burn—figurative—holes in the floor. After a while, he said, "But I...think... I _am_... actually a real literal ghost, I mean." Danny had his hand over his chest again, possibly trying to feel the beat of his heart. "No... it's more than just the... _Abilities_. The powers, ...No, it's... just not the same,"

"Yeah, ...I know. I... think... I was just in denial... It was easier to think of you like that...sorry," Tucker admitted to both Danny and, finally, to himself. Tucker hadn't been fair to Danny, seeing his friend only as the superhero he had convinced himself Danny was. And it was a lot easier to just ignore or deny all the other...extra... _creepy_... _inhuman_... stuff. Maybe it wasn't just Danny who didn't want to deal with what was happening.

Tucker didn't have to feel afraid if he convinced himself that they were just superpowers. He didn't have to feel guilty if he focused so much on how awesome it must be for Danny. Cuz who wouldn't want superpowers? He didn't have to feel worried or weirded out by any of the insane things that happened now, not if he viewed it through the lens of a comic book. All of the unflattering and inconvenient parts of reality would wash away in the eye-popping colors of a comic. 

That was why the whole mess started. The reason why when Danny made the distinction between ghost powers vs. half-ghost, it had hit so hard. Tucker had succeeded in fooling himself, and then he began to envy this idealistic reality he had created. It was easy to be jealous of someone with cool powers that he pretended had no downsides, but someone who was stuck in-between life and death? Someone who had to deal with even half the crap that Danny had to deal with. The stress, no sleep, being targeted, being hunted, feeling out of place, and all the other things that Danny probably has never even mentioned. 

Desiree had granted his wish; Tucker got exactly what he wanted. He had powers. No strings attached. Cool powers that did exactly what he wanted them to do and never gave him any problems... unlike Danny's powers, which seemed to constantly act up. In his corrupted mindstate, he figured that meant he was better at having powers than Danny... But that wasn't right, Danny's powers were a literal part of him now, controlled by his emotions and not always totally human instincts, while Tucker's weren't and never would be. 

Danny had paid an ultimate price for his powers, to be the way he is now, one that Tucker couldn't ever be jealous of.

"I know... You're not Spider-man. You're Superman," Tucker repeated. Danny looked back up at him, still confused, so he explained, "Superman _is_ an alien. There is something absolutely undeniably _inhuman_ about Superman. He doesn't just have the abilities of an alien, _he is one_. Literally, in every way: born on another planet, has weird freaky magic alien blood, absorbs the sun like a fricken plant, a body that is dense and impenetrable like steel, and even some different organs and organ placement and stuff. His secret identity, the mask that he hides behind, is really Clark Kent, not Superman. He tries his best to convince everyone that mild-mannered Clark Kent is regular ol' human being, ...but he is _not_. And Aliens are scary, too," Tucker was rambling now. But Danny was still listening, hanging on every word that babbled out of him, "they want to take over the galaxy, abduct people, and probe them or whatever. But Superman? He is not scary, not because he isn't an alien—because he still is—but because he chooses to protect people... He even protects people from his own kind, Zod is an alien too the same type as Superman. Sure, you... man, F*ck...you... kinda...really... aren't exactly completely fully... well...um uh... _human_ , are you?" It wasn't a question. It was probably good to say that out loud, to stop denying it. It was probably something that they needed to address. Danny wasn't human anymore. Say it again and again until they could for once... deal with that fact. Danny's gaze dropped again, but he never really answered–it wasn't needed anyway. 

"But..." Tucker broke the silence again, "neither is Clark Kent." He smiled and put a hand on Danny's shoulder again and this time Danny didn't shrug—or phase—it off immediately, " whether you think so or not, Phantom _is_ a hero just like Superman. Phantom protects people, he even fights the same type of alien race as him—I mean if you think about it the ghosts are kinda like interdimensional aliens. So the reason that you are not scary is—not because you aren't a ghost... cuz, ya know you still _are_ —it's because you're _you_ and you choose to help." 

There was silence again. Tucker had said all he had to say, so now was the moment to wait for Danny to respond. It was nerve-wracking, waiting in that slightly eerie quiet not knowing what thoughts were running through his friends head. Seconds felt like hours, as he waited for Danny's reaction. 

And suddenly Danny began laughing."Oh my gosh..." Laughing hard, so it was a struggle to get the words out; although, Danny did have the advantage of not running out of air. "dude... you are... such a geek," he was laughing so hard that there were tears in his eyes, ever so slightly glowing. 

When Danny calmed down, he locked his too-bright inhuman eyes—communicating a deep emotion that Tucker couldn't _ever_ really understand—with pale teal human ones.

"But... _Thanks_."

"Anytime, Superman... And Danny, you know that you can talk to us, Me and Sam or even your sister, about stuff like this. I know we cannot ever fully... understand, but we are here for you, no matter what. We got your back, dude. If you need us to help you bury a body, we'll do it." 

"Even if it's _my_ own dead body?" Danny only half-joked. 

"Of course, man. Whatever you need, you can count on us."

"Yeah, I know it's just... You guys are too... _Human_." 

"Well, someone has got to remind you that there's still some human inside you, even if you are a dead superhero with insanely cool abilities." 

"Yeah... Some," Danny said his voice and gaze dropping again.

"Danny. You are just as much human as ghost, for better or worse." 

No, Tucker wasn't jealous of Danny, not anymore. Not when he stopped and thought about what his friend must be constantly going through. Being Superman meant Danny was alone, no more Kryptonians other than Zod, no other half ghosts. Being Superman meant Danny had to protect a world he could never truly belong to, always an alien... Outsider... _Disconnected_. Being Superman meant that Danny had the weight of the world on his shoulders. But regardless, Tucker would always be there if Danny ever needed a break from being Superman. 

"Now, let's try that level again. I have a good feeling about round five," Tucker said and handed Danny back his controller. "After all they can't ever beat the super team that is the Fenton and Foley Force! Whaddya say, Supes, you up for one more round?"

Danny laughed, "oh, You know it."

They began playing again. After a bit, Danny continued Tucker's analogy, "hey, if I'm Superman then who are you?"

"Well, I'm not gonna be your Lois Lane if that's what you're asking," he said wiggling his eyebrows in an outrageously over-the-top way.

"No, Tuck," he shoved his friends again rolling his eyes. 

"And I kinda doubt Sam will be either."

"Tucker!" Danny's pale face flushed a bit. 

"Ok. Ok. Ok, fine. Weeell, going on purely best friend facts. Superman does have a brilliant, handsome, ladies man best friend who is rolling in cash and cool tech aaaand _doesn't_ have any powers, ring any bells?"

"Did you seriously just claim that you are... Batman!?" 

"Hey, I just call it how I see it."

"Nuh-uh, no way. _No way_ are you Batman."

"What's the matter are you jealous of me, now? Huh, _Mr. Superhero,_ " Tucker laughed.

"But... You're nothing like Batman. If anything Sam is Batman. She has the dark and gloomy outlook and wardrobe, the money, and she probably _can_ kick my butt."

"Anyone with kryptonite can whoop your overpowered alien butt."

"Yeah... Hey, what's kryptonite? Cuz, I can think of a lot of stuff that can harm ghosts."

"Yeah, like fricken salt," Tucker snorted. 

"You are never going to let me live that down are you?" Danny said with a pout. 

"You're a _ghost_ , dude, you don't get to _live_ anything down."

"I thought I was an interdimensional alien."

"You would like that better wouldn't you, Spacecase?"

"Yeah, well... If I'm Superman and Sam's Batman. I think that makes you... Robin."

"What? Nuh-uh. Not cool. At least pick someone on the same level as Batman and Superman."

"So... Wonder Woman?"

"Ha. Ha. Very funny."

"Sorry man, you're not much of an amazonian warrior goddess."

"Yeah, but I could totally rock that metal swimsuit and you know it."

"Whatever you say, dude," Danny said shaking his head at Tucker's antics. 

"Can I at least be The Flash?" 

"Tuck, dude," Danny gave him a look that said _aren't you forgetting something._ Then he finished in a deadpan, "you hate running."

"Well if I had super speed, I wouldn't," Tucker defended sheepishly. 

"I don't know Tuck. I think even if you had the option of superspeed you would still kinda hate running. It's a lot of work."

"You don't even have superspeed, dude. How would you know?"

"I can fly super fast... But it wears me out like no tomorrow."

"Fine. No Flash."

"You at all into fish?"

"No, unless we're talking rocking hot mermaids."

"So no Aquaman either. Sorry dude... Besides, Robin's not that bad he becomes Nightwing later."

"Depends on which Robin. Plus Nightwing is just poorer discount Batman."

"Sorry Tuck, but I stand by the fact that you are not Batman."

"Harsh betrayal for your best friend, dude."

"Hey, I just call it how I see it."

"You're terrible."

"...Yeah," the laughter died down again, and Danny became more serious. "Really though, thanks for putting up with me and all my creepy... ghos... uh, _alien_ crap."

"Dude. Seriously don't mention it. Whatever you need. You may be Superman but don't hide away in a Fortress of Solitude, OK? When you need help come to your friends, that's what we're here for ya fricken idiot! Don't ignore the problem and don't brood."

"Brooding is what DC heroes do, its why I prefer the wisecracking Marvel heroes."

"Of course you do," Tucker groans. "Although unlike them your jokes are terrible." Danny snickered in that _I-know-I'm-awful-but-you-still-love-me_ way he has. 

"Besides, brooding is _not_ a DC thing. It's just a Batman thing—regardless of what the movies think—and we can't all be Batman. Superman is supposed to be an optimistic beacon of hope." Tucker stood up, struck a pose, and imitated Danny's stupid 'hero-voice', "he stands for truth, justice, and the American way."

Danny snorted in disbelief, "and... You think I'm Superman? Cuz that doesn't sound like me at all." 

"Yup. You bet your freaky inhuman ass you are...you and your stupid fricken obsesh...sh...uh... _hero-complex_. Now, dude seriously, I'm not dropping this; it's too important. You need to... Promise me OK? _Promise_ me that you will at least _try_ to come to us... OK?"

"Try?"

"Yeah, that's all I'm asking for here."

"Oh. ...I think I can manage that."

"Can you?"

"Yeah... Doer-of-the-impossible, that's me," Danny rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.

Tucker laughed, "ain't that the truth. And the one who reminds you that not everything is impossible, well that's my job," he said slinging an arm around his best friend. "That and making sure you can actually pull off being human,"

"Ha. I think that really is impossible."

"Yeah well, _Mr. Doer-of-the-impossible,_ I don't think you give yourself enough credit. You _are_ human, in the ways that count."

"And I think you give me _too much_ credit ...But thanks."

"Any time, Supes. Seriously, _any_ time."


End file.
